Get ready iced tea lovers, because June is National Iced Tea Month! To get you ready for this special event, we thought we share some fun facts about iced tea and a quick overview on how to brew iced tea.
Here are a few iced tea facts:
- About 80 percent of the tea served in the US today is iced tea.
- Iced tea’s popularity led to the introduction of the iced tea spoon. Its long handle allowed sugar to be added to a fashionably tall glass of iced tea.
Why Drink Fresh, Full Leaf, Iced Tea?
Americans consume 20-25% of their calories through beverages. What better way to cut back on those calories with a natural alternative that costs far less per serving! Increased understanding of the role antioxidants play in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease has made tea the perfect health beverage. It is a fat-free and calorie-free, and untainted by additives and preservatives when prepared from fresh, full leaves.
When working out or living an active lifestyle it’s a good idea to up your intake of foods rich in antioxidants. Exercise generates oxidants, which can produce oxidative stress, which can damage muscle cells. Tea is a much sought-after beverage, since it ranks ahead of most others in terms of antioxidant potency. If tea is consumed about an hour before exercise, the caffeine content is likely to enhance performance in high-intensity athletic events. When taken after exercise, tea’s rich antioxidant content has been shown to help boost recovery and limit the damage done by lactic acid to muscles.
Flavor. Value. Health.
You can enjoy steeping gourmet iced tea at home with ease. High quality whole leaf tea and traditional hand-crafting methods produce teas of superior freshness, flavor, aroma, and health benefits. These full leaf teas come at a fraction of the cost of teabags.
And yes, all teas can be served iced. When choosing a tea to serve iced don’t box yourself into traditional thinking, such as black teas or herbal blends, but consider green and white teas. Both make wonderful, soothing, cold drinks. Most often overlooked as a consideration for iced tea are oolongs. This awesome category of tea yields a wide range of flavor profiles, character and benefits.
Making iced tea at home is a breeze! Just steep your tea normally, but use half the amount of water. If you want to drink it immediately, pour the double-strength infusion directly over a glass full of ice. Or, to refrigerate it, dilute the infusion with an equal amount of room temperature water. This allows the tea to cool gradually, which helps avoid clouding caused by chilling most teas too rapidly. One quart of iced tea generally requires about 1/2 ounce tea. To sweeten, add rock crystal sugar or honey while the tea is still hot, allowing the sugar to dissolve completely.
To prepare a cold infusion you will need;
- A glass jar or container with a top
- 4-6 tablespoons of premium loose-leaf tea
- 8 cups of cold water
Poured water over the tea leaves and place the container in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours. When the tea is ready, remove the leaves and enjoy.
One word of caution, brewed tea has a shelf life! Not only can bacteria begin to form but time and exposure diminish the health benefits. For best results, adhere to the following:
- Tea stored at room temperature should be kept no longer than 2 days.
- Tea stored in the refrigerator should be kept no longer than 3 days.
Note: It is OK if your iced tea clouds! There are many reasons this can occur; a clouded tea can sometimes signify a higher quality tea filled with desirable tea solids, or one that has been cooled too quickly. Regardless, a clouded iced tea is certainly not a bad iced tea! Teas from the Nilgiri region of India seem to resist clouding better than other tea varieties.
If you have a favorite iced tea, post it our facebook page and let us know what it is. If we use the recipe in our next issue, you’ll get $5.00 in TeaDollars.
“One drinks tea to forget the world’s noise.” Thomas Sterling, Tea Expert